Color imaging element and method of forming color diffusion transfer image

A method of forming a color diffusion transfer image which comprises developing an imagewise exposed light-sensitive material comprising a support having thereon light-sensitive silver halide, a binder, a compound represented by formula (I) shown below and a coupler compound which forms or releases a diffusible dye upon a reaction with an oxidation product of the compound represented by formula (I), said coupler compound being represented by formula (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11) or (12) shown below, and transferring and fixing the diffusible dye formed or released by development of the light-sensitive material to a dye fixing layer of a dye fixing material comprising a support having thereon at least one dye fixing layer, wherein the dye fixing layer and/or an adjacent layer thereto contains at lease one water-soluble compound represented by formula (II) shown below which is soluble in an aqueous 50 wt % methanol solution in an amount of at least 20 wt %:

• wherein Z represents a carbamoyl group, an acyl group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, an aryloxycarbonyl group, a sulfonyl group or a sulfamoyl group;
• and Q represents an atomic group necessary for forming an unsaturated ring together with the carbon atom;
• wherein X represents a hydrogen atom, a hydroxy group, an aliphatic group, an acyl group, an aliphatic oxy group, an aliphatic oxycarbonyl group or an aryloxycarbonyl group;
• Y1 and Y2, which may be the same or different, each represents a hydrogen atom or a substituent, or Y1 and Y2 may be combined with each other to form a 5-membered or 6-membered ring;
• Z1 represents a simple bond, a methylene group which may be substituted or an ethylene group which may be substituted;
• Z2 represents a methylene group which may be substituted;
• and R1, R2, R3 and R4, which may be the same or different, each represents an aliphatic group, or R1 and R2 and R3 and R4 each may be combined with each other to form a 5-membered or 6 membered ring
• wherein in formulae (1) to (4), R14 represents an acyl group, an aryl group, a heterocyclic group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, an aryloxycarbonyl group, a carbamoyl group, a sulfamoyl group, an alkylsufonyl group or an arylsulfonyl group, each of which may have a substituent, or a cyano group or a nitro group;
• in formulae (1) to (3), R15 represents an alkyl group, an aryl group or a heterocyclic group, each of which may have a substituent;
• in formula (4), R16 represents an aryl group or a heterocyclic group, each of which may have a substituent;
• in formulae (1) to (4), R14 and R15 or R14 and R16 may be combined with each other to form a ring;
• in formula (5), R17 represents an alkyl group, an aryl group, an acyl group or a carbamoyl group and R18 represents a phenyl group or a phenyl group substituted with one or more halogen atoms, alkyl groups, cyano groups, alkoxy groups, alkoxycarbonyl groups or acylamino groups;
• in formulae (7) and (8), R20 represents a hydrogen atom or a group selected from —CONR22R23, —SO2NR22R23, —NHCOR22, —NHCONR22R23 and —NHSO2NR22R23 (wherein R22 and R23 each represents a hydrogen atom or a substituent);
• in formulae (7) and (8), R21 represents a substituent, l represents an integer of from 0 to 2, and m represents an integer of from 0 to 4, and when l or m is 2 or greater, the R21 groups may be the same or different;
• in formulae (9), (10), (11) and (12), R32, R33 and R34 each represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent;
• and
• in formulae (1) to (5) and (7) to (12), Y represents a group imparting diffusion resistant property to the coupler and capable of being released upon a coupling reaction with an oxidation product of the developing agent.

A method of forming a color diffusion transfer image which comprises developing an imagewise exposed light-sensitive material comprising a support having thereon light-sensitive silver halide, a binder, a compound represented by formula (I) shown below and a coupler compound which forms or releases a diffusible dye upon a reaction with an oxidation product of the compound represented by formula (I), said coupler compound being represented by formula (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11) or (12) shown below, and transferring and fixing the diffusible dye formed or released by development of the light-sensitive material after imagewise exposure to a dye fixing layer of a dye fixing material comprising a support having thereon at least one dye fixing layer, wherein a water-soluble compound represented by formula (II) shown below is supplied before, during or after the formation or release of the diffusible dye, the water-soluble compound being soluble in an aqueous 50 wt % methanol solution in an amount of at least 20 wt %:

• wherein Z represents a carbamoyl group, an acyl group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, an aryloxycarbonyl group, a sulfonyl group or a sulfamoyl group;
• and Q represents an atomic group necessary for forming an unsaturated ring together with the carbon atom;
• wherein X represents a hydrogen atom, a hydroxy group, an aliphatic group, an acyl group, an aliphatic oxy group, an aliphatic oxycarbonyl group or an aryloxycarbonyl group;
• Y1 and Y2, which may be the same or different, each represents a hydrogen atom or a substituent, or Y1 and Y2 may be combined with each other to form a 5-membered or 6-membered ring;
• Z1 represents a simple bond, a methylene group which may be substituted or an ethylene group which may be substituted;
• Z2 represents a methylene group which may be substituted;
• and R1, R2, R3 and R4, which may be the same or different, each represents an aliphatic group, or R1 and R2 and R3 and R4 each may be combined with each other to form a 5-membered or 6 membered ring
• wherein in formulae (1) to (4), R14 represents an acyl group, an aryl group, a heterocyclic group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, an aryloxycarbonyl group, a carbamoyl group, a sulfamoyl group, an alkylsufonyl group or an arylsulfonyl group, each of which may have a substituent, or a cyano group or a nitro group;
• in formulae (1) to (3), R15 represents an alkyl group, an aryl group or a heterocyclic group, each of which may have a substituent;
• in formula (4), R16 represents an aryl group or a heterocyclic group, each of which may have a substituent;
• in formulae (1) to (4), R14 and R15 or R14 and R16may be combined with each other to form a ring;
• in formula (5), R17 represents an alkyl group, an aryl group, an acyl group or a carbamoyl group and R18 represents a phenyl group or a phenyl group substituted with one or more halogen atoms, alkyl groups, cyano groups, alkoxy groups, alkoxycarbonyl groups or acylamino groups;
• in formulae (7) and (8), R20 represents a hydrogen atom or a group selected from —CONR22R23, —SO2NR22R23, —NHCOR22, —NHCONR22R23 and —NHSO2NR22R23 (wherein R22 and R23 each represents a hydrogen atom or a substituent);
• in formulae (7) and (8), R21 represents a substituent, l represents an integer of from 0 to 2, and m represents an integer of from 0 to 4, and when l or m is 2 or greater, the R21 groups may be the same or different;
• in formulae (9), (10), (11) and (12), R32, R33 and R34 each represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent;
• and
• in formulae (1) to (5) and (7) to (12), Y represents a group imparting diffusion resistant property to the coupler and capable of being released upon a coupling reaction with an oxidation product of the developing agent.